Chair



NOV. 8, 1938. c H, OERMANN 2,135,833

CHAIR Filed March 6, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 PATENTOFFICE CHAIR Carl H. Oermann, York, Pa.

Application March 6,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of furniture and particularly to achair or the like having a resilient supporting structure.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved chair wherein thesupporting members are formed of suitable metallic bars which arenormally somewhat rigid and yet provide a certain degree of resiliencefor comfort to the occupant.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved seat structurewhich is light in weight and which will permit a limited amount ofyielding under load.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved seat structurewhich will permit of a rocking motion by the user without the necessityof providing rockers, and wherein the back will yield readily to providethe degree of inclination desired by the user.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, theinvention consists in the preferred construction and arrangement of theseveral parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a front view of a chairembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chair shown in Fig. 1, the normalposition of the chair being 30 shown in full lines and a position of thechair when the same is oc'cupied'being shown by broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chair; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the chair comprises a frame structure formedwith a pair of front legs II and a pair of rear legs l2, the rear legs12, when the chair is viewed from the front being 40 disposed directlybehind the front legs.

The front legs I l at their lower ends are formed with rearwardly curvedfeet l3.

If so desired a suitable tubular pad I4 may be inserted over theintermediate portion of each foot l3, so as to protect the floor orother surface upon which the chair is placed. The pads I 4 may be formedof a suitable rubber composition or any other suitable material.

From the feet l3, the front legs H are bowed forwardly slightly and thisforwardly curved portion of the legs extends upwardly to a pointadjacent to the point at which the seat structure is fastened to thefront legs I I. From thence the front legs ll extend upwardly andrearwardly in an arc, indicated at l5, Figs. 2 and 3, and said 1937,Serial No. 129,444

front legs terminateat a point adjacent to the point at which the backis secured to the frame structure, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

The front leg portions [5 overlie the seat structure a considerabledistance. In fact, the height of the portions I5 is such that theseportions of the front legs I I provide means for supporting arm restsHi. In this way, each arm, as well as each front leg of the chair, canbe formed of a single length of material.

The rear legs l2, at their lower ends, are formed with rearwardlyextending curved feet I I, which feet are provided with pads 18 similarto the pads l4 heretofore described.

-As shown in Fig. 2, the rear legs 12 are arcu'ate in form, and the feetI! are disposed at a considerable distance rearwardly with respect tothe front leg feet [3, so that the chair frame will be rigidly andfirmly supported on the floor.

From the feet H, the rear legs I 2 extend in an arc forwardly, upwardlyand thence rearwardly.

The upper rear portion IQ of the legs I2 underlies the rear of theportion l5 of the front legs II, and at their upper rear extremities thelegs H and I2 are secured together by any suitable means, such as abracket 20.

Preferably the material used in constructing the front legs H, isrelatively stiff. Spring steel of suitable resilient characteristicsshould preferably be used for the rear legs [2. By employing twodifferent kinds of materials for the front and rear legs, respectively,when the chair is occupied the rear legs l2 will bend downwardly andrearwardly, as shown by the broken lines, Fig. 2, and in doing so willdraw or pull the front legs rearwardly and downwardly therewith, thefront legs I l turning or swinging on their feet [3, since the legs areconnected together at their upper rear ends by the brackets 20. When anoccupant arises from the chair, and the load is thus removed from theseat structure, the rear legs l2 will spring back, returning the framestructure to the normal unoccupied position shown by full lines, Fig. 2.

In order to prevent spreading of the legs, the lower ends of the frontlegs II are connected by a cross bar 2|, and. also intermediate of theirlengths the front legs are connected by a second cross bar 22. The crossbar 22 has two functions, the second function thereof being hereinaftermore fully described. The lower ends of the rear legs l2 are connectedby a cross bar 23. As shown in Fig. 4, the cross bars 2| and 23 are 55 2connected by straps 24. These straps prevent relative movement of thecross bars 2| and 23 and consequently the feet [3 and I! are retainedspaced apart, even when the chair is occupied.

The back frame structure of the chair comprises a frame consisting oftwo bars 25, one on each side of the chair. These bars are curvedslightly so as to conform somewhat to the contour of an occupants back,and intermediate their length the bars 25 are connected to the brackets20 by bolts or other securing elements 26. The seat frame structure ofthe chair is a continuation of the back structure and comprises two bars2'! which are connected at their rear ends to the lower ends of the backbars 25, as indicated at 28, Figs. 1 and 3.

The front ends of the bars 21 are secured to the cross bar 22, asindicated at 29. Any form of back and seat supporting means may bemounted on the bars 25 and 21. In'the present instance the back and seatstructure comprises a plurality of wooden slats which span the bars asshown in Figs. 1 and -3, said slats being connected at their ends tosaid bars .by'rivets or other suitable securing means, as

is substantially rigid, while resiliency is obtained by constructing therear legs flexible, as has been heretofore described. Thus, when thechair is occupied the back and seat structure can be tilted rearwarclly,as shown by the broken lines, Fig. 2. Due to the flexible nature of therear legs, the seat structure can be rocked by the occupant forwardlyand rearwardly, and in such movements of the chair, the rear legs I 2will bend or flex and the front legs I i will swing about the pivotprovided by the feet I3.

While in describing my invention, I have referred in detail to the form,arrangement and construction of the parts thereof, the same is to beconsidered merely as illustrative, so that I do not wish to be limitedthereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Seat structure comprising arcuate front and rear legs, the lower endsof the legs being spaced apart and the upper ends of said legs beingconnected together at their extremities, bars for bracing the lowerportions of said legs, arm rests mounted on the upper portions of thefront legs, a back structure connected intermediate its ends to theupper rear'portion of said legs, and a seat structure extendingforwardly from the lower portion of the back and connected at its frontend to the front leg structure.

2. Seat structure comprising front and rear legs, the rear legs beingformed'of flexible ma- 5 terial and the front legs being formed ofrelatively stiff material and having lower floor engaging ends curved topermit rearward swinging movement of said front legs when the rear legsare flexed by the weight of an occupant ofthe 10 device, the upper endsof the front and rear legs extending rearwardly with the front legsoverlying and connected to the rear legs near the extremities thereof,the lower ends of said legs being spaced apart, means for bracing said15 legs to prevent relative spreading movement of the lower endsthereof, a back joined to the upper ends of said front and rear legs atthe juncture, thereof, said back extending upwardly and downwardly fromthe point at which it is con- 20 nected to the legs, and a seat rigidlyconnected to the back and connected at its forward end to the frontlegs, said rear legs being free to flex between their extremitieswhereby the seat structure can be rocked forwardly and rear- 5 wardly.

3. Seat structure comprising resilient side .frames, each consisting offront and rear legs formed of relatively thin metal straps having theirlower'ends spaced apart and resting upon 30 the floor, said legs beingcurved upwardly and rearwardly, the upper ends of said legs beingbrought together and secured one to the other, spacer means connectingand bracing the lower ends of all of said legs, and a seat and back reststructure connected intermediate its length to the upper extremities ofsaid side frames and connected at its forward portion to said frontlegs, said seat frame constituting means for spacing and bracing saidside frames.

4. Seat structure comprising resilient side 4 frames, each consisting offront and rear legs formed of relatively thin metal straps having theirlower ends spaced apart and resting upon the floor, said legs beingcurved upwardly .and. r

rearwardly, the upper ends of said legs being brought together andsecured oneto the other, a cross brace connecting the front legsintermediate the length thereof, spacer means connecting the lower endsof all of said legs, and a seat and back rest structure connectedintermediate its length to the upper extremities of said side frames andconnected at its forward portion tov said cross brace.

CARL H. OERMANN.

